Mangaluru: President of the Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations (FIRA) Professor Narendra Nayak, has issued an open challenge to Dhirendra Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Dham Baba from Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Professor Nayak has stated that Dhirendra Shastri, or Bageshwar Dham Baba, is the latest addition to the group of self-proclaimed godmen and miracle workers. On his website, he makes various claims of possessing supernatural and superhuman abilities. Despite being relatively young, he asserts that he can reveal the names and histories of individuals who attend his programmes. Additionally, he claims to have the power to cure various diseases and openly promotes radicalised Hindutva ideologies.
Due to complaints, his programmes in Nagpur and Raipur were canceled. Furthermore, he conducted cold readings by extracting data from the Facebook pages of certain journalists, presenting them as if obtained through his divine knowledge (“trikal gyan”). While these actions can be easily explained, FIRA desires to thoroughly examine his alleged divine powers in healing and clairvoyance.
As he plans to visit Bengaluru in June and organise programmes from June 11 to 15, purportedly focusing on Hanuman Katha, FIRA seeks to put his powers to the test. While the decision to attend religious programmes lies with individuals, FIRA wants to evaluate his proclaimed abilities to disclose personal details of attendees, showcase healing powers, and predict future events.
FIRA’s challenges to Dhirendra Shastri entail accurately providing details about five individuals chosen by FIRA, with the information provided in sealed envelopes to be opened before the session begins. Furthermore, they request him to cure a specific disease or deformity of a person selected by FIRA, and read the number on a sealed currency note as evidence of his “trikal gyan.” The envelope containing the currency note will be opened after the number is recorded to verify his accuracy.
Professor Nayak offers a reward of Rs. 10 Lakh to Dhirendra Shastri or any organisation specified by him if he can successfully accomplish these three “miracles” as proof of his divine powers. It should be noted that this challenge pertains solely to these demonstrations, excluding any debates, discussions, or religious discourses.
FIRA emphasises that those attempting to introduce extraneous matters into this discourse should be aware that this challenge solely focuses on questioning Dhirendra Shastri’s alleged supernatural abilities and is not an invitation for a debate on religious or political matters.